This invention generally relates to the field of endoscopic systems adapted to permit the visualization of otherwise visually inaccessible objects, such as interior body cavities, organs and tissue, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to magnetically actuated endoscope couplers for use in connecting video cameras and the like to the proximal end of an endoscope to display and record endoscopic images while performing surgical procedures or performing exploratory operations for diagnostic purposes.
Endoscopic couplers are well known in the endoscopic art, and typically comprise a sealed housing in which a lens resides to relay the image formed at the proximal end of the endoscope to one or more cameras. Provision is made at both ends of the coupler for connecting the endoscope eyepiece to one end and the camera to the other. Like all artifacts used in invasive surgical procedures, endoscope couplers need to be kept sterile to prevent infection through the transfer and spread of bacteria. To assure this, autoclaving procedures are used to sterilize couplers with pressurized steam. Because the autoclave environment is inherently hostile, it is important for the couplers to be robustly hermetically sealed; otherwise, their integrity will be compromised and infection will be possible.
One approach that has been used to provide couplers with focusing capability while maintaining hermetically sealed has been to magnetically couple the mechanical rotary motion of an external focusing ring to linear motion of one or more of the elements of the coupler lens, which resides in a hermetically sealed housing. However, the various magnetic coupling arrangements of the art, which use discrete magnets, can become unsynchronized when the original alignment of their magnets with their intended axial focus position gets disrupted with jarring or the like.
Consequently, it is a primary purpose of the invention to construct an endoscopic coupler (suitable for, but not limited to, autoclaving) where the optical elements are held within a sealed volume.
Another object of the invention is to overcome a common failure mode for endoscopic couplers where moisture migrates thru dynamic seals by a novel magnetic coupler that addresses this problem by eliminating the dynamic seals.
Other objects of this invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, in part, appear hereinafter when the following detailed description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings.